Search results for "Infrastructure" in Home Design Ideas

Urban Landscape Design - Leafmore Creek-Park Hill Area off Clairmont Rd Green Infrastructure in the City of Atlanta. Before and After renovation of the exterior of a 1960s -1970s Ranch Style Home.

The Haven ADU features 900 GFA in a compact 28′×36′ footprint, offering 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, and a covered entryway. It includes 9′ ceilings, LED lighting, solar-ready infrastructure, and ADA options. BuildX provides a complete, move-in-ready ADU home with premium standard selections and full project management, covering architectural plans, permits, engineered foundation, complete exterior build, and a single connection point for high-efficiency heat-pump HVAC, along with finished interiors, including kitchen and bath. Customization options for both exterior and interior selections are available, with upgrades to enhance specific areas without compromising clarity or control. The starting price reflects the ADU building package with premium selections, while total project pricing is confirmed after property evaluation and defining the engineered site development scope, including utilities, excavation, drainage, and sewer tie-in or septic conditions.

Set on a narrow lakefront parcel defined by tight setbacks and limited hardscape allowance, this modern cabin demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform restriction into possibility. Carefully composed to preserve privacy while opening fully toward the water, the home feels both expansive and intimate—an elevated retreat grounded in its landscape.
Though modest in footprint, the residence lives generously. Four bedrooms are tucked efficiently within the plan, including a light-filled quilting studio that reflects the homeowners’ creative life. Each bedroom opens onto its own private balcony, offering moments of pause and perspective with views stretching across lake and countryside.
The upper level also includes a family room, providing a quiet gathering space removed from the activity below. From here, the home’s vertical volume becomes apparent, as daylight pours down through a dramatic two-story space framed by glass facing the lake.
At the center of the home, a custom steel-and-wood plank stair acts as both circulation and sculpture. Rising through the double-height volume, it leads the eye upward to a tall Nelson cigar lamp suspended above—an intentional moment of drama and delight.
The main floor is designed around connection and flow. Kitchen, dining, and living areas exist as one continuous space, unified by light, views, and material warmth. A 12-foot-long island anchors the kitchen, serving as the natural gathering place for morning coffee, family meals, and summertime buffet-style entertaining. When fully opened, large folding accordion glass doors dissolve the boundary between inside and out, allowing the screened porch to become a true extension of the living space.
Function is carefully layered throughout the plan. A mudroom entry from the tucked-under two-car garage includes a powder room and utility closet, while a generous entry closet provides essential storage and has been dimensioned to accommodate a future elevator.
Designed intentionally for aging in place, the home incorporates zero-threshold access from the garage, wide halls and doorways, reinforced wall blocking for future grab bars, and infrastructure for a future elevator—ensuring long-term comfort without compromising design.
Clad in dark painted board-and-batten siding, the exterior minimizes visual scale and allows the home to recede quietly into the landscape. Recessed balconies and façade elements are wrapped in warm wood-look siding, adding depth and contrast while bringing warmth into the interior. At night, light spills softly from within, and the cabin glows along the shoreline—welcoming, calm, and enduring.
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Tim & Elissa have a beautiful home in the most desirable Wyomissing neighborhood. Broad sidewalks under stately oaks, with nearby parks makes it a perfect place to raise a growing family. But their 2-bedroom mid-century rancher was becoming a squeeze. They asked Spring Creek Design to come up with a cost-effective solution to their space problem, while also tackling some of the home’s aged infrastructure.
Design Criteria:
- Increase living space by adding a new 2nd storey Master Suite.
- Enhance livability with an open floorplan on the first floor.
- Improve the connection to the outdoors.
- Update basics systems with new windows, HVAC and insulation.
- Update interior with paint & refinished floors.
Special Features:
- Bright, mid-century modern design is true to the home’s vintage.
- Custom steel cable railings at both stairways.
- New open plan creates strong connections between kitchen, living room, dining room and deck.
- High-performance Pella windows throughout, including a new triple-panel slider to the deck.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
The second-largest and most developed of Georgia's barrier islands, St. Simons is approximately twelve miles long and nearly three miles wide at its widest stretch (roughly the size of Manhattan Island in New York). The island is located in Glynn County on Georgia's coast and lies east of Brunswick (the seat of Glynn County), south of Little St. Simons Island and the Hampton River, and north of Jekyll Island. The resort community of Sea Island is separated from St. Simons on the east by the Black Banks River. Known for its oak tree canopies and historic landmarks, St. Simons is both a tourist destination and, according to the 2010 U.S. census, home to 12,743 residents.
Early History
The earliest
St. Simons Island Village
record of human habitation on the island dates to the Late Archaic Period, about 5,000 to 3,000 years ago. Remnants of shell rings left behind by Native Americans from this era survive on many of the barrier islands, including St. Simons. Centuries later, during the period known by historians as the chiefdom era, the Guale Indians established a chiefdom centered on St. Catherines Island and used St. Simons as their hunting and fishing grounds. By 1500 the Guale had established a permanent village of about 200 people on St. Simons, which they called Guadalquini.
Beginning in 1568, the Spanish attempted to create missions along the Georgia coast. Catholic missions were the primary means by which Georgia's indigenous Native American chiefdoms were assimilated into the Spanish colonial system along the northern frontier of greater Spanish Florida. In the 1600s St. Simons became home to two Spanish missions: San Buenaventura de Guadalquini, on the southern tip of the island, and Santo Domingo de Asao (or Asajo), on the northern tip. Located on the inland side of the island were the pagan refugee villages of San Simón, the island's namesake, and Ocotonico. In 1684 pirate raids left the missions and villages largely abandoned.
Colonial History
As
Fort Frederica
early as 1670, with Great Britain's establishment of the colony of Carolina and its expansion into Georgia territory, Spanish rule was threatened by the English. The Georgia coast was considered "debatable land" by England and Spain, even though Spain had fully retreated from St. Simons by 1702. Thirty-one years later General James Edward Oglethorpe founded the English settlement of Savannah. In 1736 he established Fort Frederica, named after the heir to the British throne, Frederick Louis, prince of Wales, on the west side of St. Simons Island to protect Savannah and the Carolinas from the Spanish threat.
Between 1736 and 1749 Fort Frederica was the hub of British military operations along the Georgia frontier. A town of the same name grew up around the fort and was of great importance to the new colony. By 1740 Frederica's population was 1,000. In 1736 the congregation of what would become Christ Church was organized within Fort Frederica as a mission of the Church of England. Charles Wesley led the first services. In 1742 Britain's decisive victory over Spain in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, during the War of Jenkins' Ear, ended the Spanish threat to the Georgia coast. When the British regimen disbanded in 1749, most of the townspeople relocated to the mainland. Fort Frederica went into decline and, except for a short time of prosperity during the 1760s and 1770s under the leadership of merchant James Spalding, never fully recovered. Today the historic citadel's tabby ruins are maintained by the National Park Service.
Plantation Era
By the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), Fort Frederica was obsolete, and St. Simons was left largely uninhabited as most of its residents joined the patriot army. Besides hosting a small Georgia naval victory on the Fort Frederica River, providing guns from its famous fort for use at Fort Morris in Sunbury, and serving as an arena for pillaging by privateers and British soldiers, the island played almost no role in the war.
Following the war, many of the townspeople, their businesses destroyed, turned to agriculture. The island was transformed into fourteen cotton plantations after acres of live oak trees were cleared for farm land and used for building American warships, including the famous USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides." Although rice was the predominant crop along the neighboring Altamaha River, St. Simons was known for its production of long-staple cotton, which soon came to be known as Sea Island cotton.
Between
Ebos Landing
the 1780s and the outbreak of the Civil War (1861-65), St. Simons's plantation culture flourished. The saline atmosphere and the availability of cheap slave labor proved an ideal combination for the cultivation of Sea Island cotton. In 1803 a group of Ebo slaves who survived the Middle Passage and arrived on the west side of St. Simons staged a rebellion and drowned themselves. The sacred site is known today as Ebos Landing.
One of the largest owners of land and slaves on St. Simons was Pierce Butler, master of Hampton Point Plantation, located on the northern end of the island. By 1793 Butler owned more than 500 slaves, who cultivated 800 acres of cotton on St. Simons and 300 acres of rice on Butler's Island in the Altamaha River delta. Butler's grandson, Pierce Mease Butler, who at the age of sixteen inherited a share of his grandfather's estate in 1826, was responsible for the largest sale of human beings in the history of the United States: in 1859, to restore his squandered fortune, he sold 429 slaves in Savannah for more than $300,000. The British actress and writer Fanny Kemble, whose tumultuous marriage to Pierce ended in divorce in 1849, published an eyewitness account of the evils of slavery on St. Simons in her book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (1863).
Another
Retreat Plantation
large owner of land and slaves on St. Simons was Major William Page, a friend and employee of Pierce Butler Sr. Before purchasing Retreat Plantation on the southwestern tip of the island in 1804, Page managed the Hampton plantation and Butler's Island. Upon Page's death in 1827, Thomas Butler King inherited the land together with his wife, Page's daughter, Anna Matilda Page King. King expanded his father-in-law's planting empire on St. Simons as well as on the mainland, and by 1835 Retreat Plantation alone was home to as many as 355 slaves.
The center of life during the island's plantation era was Christ Church, Frederica. Organized in 1807 by a group of island planters, the Episcopal church is the second oldest in the Diocese of Georgia. Embargoes imposed by the War of 1812 (1812-15) prevented the parishioners from building a church structure, so they worshiped in the home of John Beck, which stood on the site of Oglethorpe's only St. Simons residence, Orange Hall.
The first Christ Church building, finished on the present site in 1820, was ruined by occupying Union troops during the Civil War. In 1884 the Reverend Anson Dodge Jr. rebuilt the church as a memorial to his first wife, Ellen. The cruciform building with a trussed gothic roof and stained-glass windows remains active today as Christ Church.
Civil War and Beyond
The
St. Simons Island Lighthouse
outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 put a sudden end to St. Simons's lucrative plantation era. In January of that year, Confederate troops were stationed at the south end of the island to guard the entrance to Brunswick Harbor. Slaves from Retreat Plantation, owned by Thomas Butler King, built earthworks and batteries. Plantation residents were scattered—the men joined the Confederate army and their families moved to the mainland. Cannon fire was heard on the island in December 1861, and Confederate troops retreated in February 1862, after dynamiting the lighthouse to keep its beacon from aiding Union troops. Soon thereafter, Union troops occupied the island, which was used as a camp for freed slaves. By August 1862 more than 500 former slaves lived on St. Simons, including Susie King Taylor, who organized a school for freed slave children. But in November the ex-slaves were taken to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Fernandina, Florida, leaving the island abandoned.
After the Civil War the island never returned to its status as an agricultural community. The plantations lay dormant because there were no slaves to work the fields. After Union general William T. Sherman's January 1865 Special Field Order No. 15 —a demand that former plantations be divided and distributed to former slaves—was overturned by U.S. president Andrew Johnson less than a year later, freedmen and women were forced to work as sharecroppers on the small farms that dotted the land previously occupied by the sprawling plantations.
By
St. Simons Lumber Mills
1870 real economic recovery began with the reestablishment of the timber industry. Norman Dodge and Titus G. Meigs of New York set up lumber mill operations at Gascoigne Bluff, formerly Hamilton Plantation. The lumber mills provided welcome employment for both blacks and whites and also provided mail and passenger boats to the mainland. Such water traffic, together with the construction of a new lighthouse in 1872, designed by architect Charles B. Cluskey, marked the beginning of St. Simons's tourism industry. The keeper of the lighthouse created a small amusement park, which drew many visitors, as did the seemingly miraculous light that traveled from the top of the lighthouse tower to the bottom. The island became a summer retreat for families from the mainland, particularly from Baxley, Brunswick, and Waycross.
The island's resort industry was thriving by the 1880s. Beachfront structures, such as a new pier and grand hotel, were built on the southeastern end of the island and could be accessed by ferry. Around this time wealthy northerners began vacationing on the island.
Twentieth Century
The
St. Simons Island Pier and Village
opening in 1924 of the Brunswick–St. Simons Highway, today known as the Torras Causeway, was a milestone in the development of resorts in the area. St. Simons's beaches were now easily accessible to locals and tourists alike. More than 5,000 automobiles took the short drive from Brunswick to St. Simons via the causeway on its opening day, paving the way for convenient residential and resort development.
In 1926 automotive pioneer Howard Coffin of Detroit, Michigan, bought large tracts of land on St. Simons, including the former Retreat Plantation, and constructed a golf course, yacht club, paved roads, and a residential subdivision. Although the causeway had brought large numbers of summer people to the island, St. Simons remained a small community with only a few hundred permanent residents until the 1940s.
The
St. Simons Island
outbreak of World War II (1941-45) brought more visitors and residents to St. Simons. Troops stationed at Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah; and nearby Camp Stewart took weekend vacations on the island, and a new naval air base and radar school became home to even more officers and soldiers. The increased wartime population brought the island its first public school. With a major shipyard for the production of Liberty ships in nearby Brunswick, the waters of St. Simons became active with German U-boats. In April 1942, just off the coast, the Texas Company oil tanker S. S. Oklahoma and the S. S. Esso Baton Rouge were torpedoed by the Germans, bringing the war very close to home for island residents.
Due in large part to the military's improvement of the island's infrastructure during the war, development on the island boomed in the 1950s and 1960s. More permanent homes and subdivisions were built, and the island was no longer just a summer resort but also a thriving community. In 1950 the Methodist conference and retreat center Epworth by the Sea opened on Gascoigne Bluff. In 1961 novelist Eugenia Price visited St. Simons and began work on her first works of fiction, known as the St. Simons Trilogy. Inspired by real events on the island, Price's trilogy renewed interest in the history of Georgia's coast, and the novelist herself relocated to the island in 1965 and lived there for thirty-one years. St. Simons is also home to contemporary Georgia writer Tina McElroy Ansa.
Since
Epworth by the Sea
1980 St. Simons's population has doubled. The island's continued status as a vacation destination and its ongoing development boom have put historic landmarks and natural areas at risk. While such landmarks as the Fort Frederica ruins and the Battle of Bloody Marsh site are preserved and maintained by the National Park Service, and while the historic lighthouse is maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, historic Ebos Landing has been taken over by a sewage treatment plant.
Several coastal organizations have formed in recent years to save natural areas on the island. The St. Simons Land Trust, for example, has received donations of large tracts of land and plans to protect property in the island's three traditional African American neighborhoods. Despite its rapid growth and development, St. Simons remains one of the most beautiful and important islands on the Georgia coast.

Tiny Kitchen for Small Cakes – Capitol Hill
AWARD: REX AWARD for Kitchen Excellence
Description
Remodel of a boat-like, early 20th Century, condo kitchen that fits one small person who is dedicated to making small cakes.
Challenge
We encountered a small, four-unit condo building with colonial Spanish architecture that doesn’t allow intrusion into existing structures. Limited space existed for kitchen with nowhere to move or expand. Our entrepreneur client was also on a budget. To keep costs down, we had the challenge of not moving exiting infrastructure like plumbing and lights.
Inspiration
We were inspired by our client’s tiny, artistic cakes that combine beauty and delicious functionality. We were also inspired by boats and their ability to efficiently carve space out of every possible spot.
Solution + Innovation
It was clear to us that a boat-like space required boat-like solutions, including storage at every turn – like creating a backsplash with storage and a flip-down counter to expand working space. We also built casework around plumbing stacks to create storage in the stud bay between studs. We were also able to allow for more light into the space by creating an open transom between studs.
How is it sustainable?
We did a whole sale kitchen remodel without moving plumbing or electrical. We reused existing lighting, adding energy efficient LED lights. We also had great appliance choices that were extra small and efficient. We made a commitment to use sustainable forestry products used responsible forestry products wherever possible. This included FSC Core cabinetry with grain-matched oak, and countertops were crafted from local Rich-lite resin (created by a Boeing engineer and also used in skate parks!).

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
Envision Virtual Tours and High Resolution Photography is your best choice to find just what you are looking for in the Ellijay, Ga. area .Ellijay, Georgia, known as the “Apple Capital” of Georgia, is located between the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers where they join to make the Coosawattee River and is the county seat of Gilmer County, Georgia. The origin of the city’s name is not certain but thought to be the English derivative of an Indian word(s) meaning “many waters”, “place of green things” or “new ground”. Some histories say it may have been named for an Indian chief.
Inhabited for countless years by the Cherokee people indigenous to the North Georgia, the area was first mentioned as a village and trade center before the onslaught of white settlers inhabited the region. During the 1830’s both white settlers and Indians occupied Ellijay. During the original land lottery in 1832, Martin Scalf acquired the 160 acre lot where the town now stands. In 1833, Clemonds Quinland bought 10 acres from Scalf, retained one acre for himself and donated the rest of the purchase to the County. A plan for twenty town lots, streets and a public square was created and the streets were oriented to allow maximum sunlight exposure to the buildings.
Proceeds from lot sales were used to build a jail and courthouse and pay other city expenses. During this same year, Gilmer County was appropriated $800.00 from the State to build a school, and a three-acre lot was donated for the city cemetery. On December 29, l834, Ellijay was incorporated and designated as the County seat of Gilmer County. By 1837, the town had twenty dwellings, three stores and one attorney. Most of these early buildings were of log construction.
Many roads led to Ellijay by 1849. The population had grown to 150 by 1850 and the town at five stores. Some wood-frame buildings were being constructed at this time and in 1854, a new courthouse was built in the center of the square, replacing the earlier building. The County’s first newspaper was the Ellijay Courier, started in 1875, and during this time period, Ellijay was a stop on the stagecoach line. The railroad bridge over the Cartecay River was completed in 1884 and the town now had rail service.
With the arrival of the railroad and subsequent tracks to White Path, Ellijay began to grow much faster. Many hotels were constructed and land was donated for a depot east of town. More industries, such as a cheese factory and the Shippen Brothers Lumber Mill, located in Ellijay. By 1898, the city had expanded its limits in every direction and now included the depot.
By 1900, all the buildings on the town square were brick. This included the recently completed Hyatt Hotel. Most of the other buildings in town were still of log construction, but new wood-frame buildings were being built. The Shippen Brothers Lumber Company production was expanding and exporting their lumber to Europe. Within the next few decades, this company grew to be one of the largest employers in Ellijay, often with five to six million feet of lumber in the yard at one time.
The population of Ellijay grew to 659 by 1910, and began to acquire many new modern conveniences such as electric lights and power, a telephone company and many new businesses.
Then in 1912, a fire ravaged the city, destroying 23 buildings. As a result, many new buildings were constructed under new and stricter fire and safety guidelines. The population, however, decreased slightly at this time to 632 in 1920.
During the 1920’s the town’s population began to grow again and, by this time, apples were being shipped out of the county and new storage facilities were built. Chickens were also shipped to markets outside of Ellijay and Gilmer County.
From the mid 1930’s to 1950, Ellijay received much assistance from the Federal WPA Programs. The old courthouse was removed from the center of town square and the Hyatt Hotel was remodeled to be the new courthouse. A park was created on the site of the old courthouse and the streets around the square were paved. A new street was built at this time entering town from the northeast. Other new roads, bridges, sidewalks and gutters were constructed to improve the city. A school and gymnasium were also built and other structures improved.
This growth began to impact the city’s infrastructure and in the l950’s and l960’s, a period of upgrading water systems, roads, and power supplies began. New low-rent housing appeared in l960 and a new hospital was built in l957. Georgia Highway 5 was widened in l962, new buildings around the square replaced old ones and some were remodeled. In 1974, the hospital was enlarged.
Currently, Ellijay attracts tourists who love the small-town feel and friendly atmosphere. Hotels and restaurants, unique shops, antiques and art galleries lend their charms to those who visit. A new courthouse constructed to resemble the old one, new streetscaping, family-oriented downtown events and the beautification of the square have stepped up the social and economic activity and have made Ellijay a popular destination.

The Bunker House is a two-story house with a bomb shelter in the basement.
A bunker house is a two-story residential building with a basement bomb shelter. In a short time, we had to equip the basement, master the "two walls" principle and properly seal the windows to protect ourselves and our family from the impact of the shock wave. Our priorities have changed when choosing a home - proximity to the city center or transportation hubs no longer matters.
Moreover, SENCE ARCHITECTS also took care of other safety aspects. According to the rules, the storage has two distributed exits outside, each with light "hints" of the direction of evacuation. The basement area is sealed and equipped with a double ventilation system. This is a zone of guaranteed protection against missile attacks, poisonous or radioactive substances, combustion products, and bacteriological weapons. The first mode works on air recovery, providing a fresh flow of it in the absence of heat loss. The second is carried out by a filter ventilation unit — it cleans the outside air, and then distributes it to the compartments and creates excess pressure.
Thus, contaminated air will not penetrate inside even through small cracks in protective structures.
CONCEPTUAL SOLUTION
The structures of the building itself are made of strong reinforced concrete — this way SENCE ARCHITECTS suggests abandoning "glass" facades. The number of windows has also been reduced: they will have a protective anti-shock film, and in case of an explosive wave, they will be closed with reinforced shutters made of fire-resistant plywood. At the entrance to the house and bomb shelter, armored doors are installed.
Water is supplied from its own artesian well, electricity — from its own diesel power plant. This means that possible damage to infrastructure facilities will not affect the lives of residents in any way. The house is equipped with modern types of radio- and telephone communication, and satellite Internet, which will work even in the bomb shelter. The signaling and air-raid alert systems are to be installed too. The systems are powered autonomously and have backup channels. Overall, given its specificity, the house is designed for a family of 4-5 people.
Size / 733 sq.m.
Year / 2022

Complete Basement Transformation by Expert Remodeling Contractor in Doylestown, PA
Renovating a basement is exciting, especially when you have a clear vision of a versatile space that fits your lifestyle. We are a basement remodeling contractor in Doylestown, PA.
We are a contractor in Doylestown, PA specializing in basement remodeling. Our most recent project involved transforming a plain basement into a stunning living space. The homeowners can now enjoy this beautiful area for many years to come.
The Initial Phase: Design and Planning
Every successful remodel begins with a well-thought-out plan. Our team started by stripping the basement down to its basic structure, preparing to build it back up from scratch. We designed the layout to maximize the space for its new purposes. These purposes include a fun entertainment area, a peaceful bathroom, and an energizing gym.
Upgrading the Essentials: Installation of Core Systems
The next step was to ensure the basement was ready to support the modern amenities we planned to install:
We created a strong network system for seamless home entertainment and communication in the bar and gym areas.
Plumbing: With the addition of a full bathroom and a bar, new plumbing was essential. Our experts installed a system that promised both efficiency and reliability.
We installed new electrical and HVAC systems in the basement. We installed these systems to control the temperature and create a comfortable environment. The purpose of these systems was to provide a comfortable environment for the gym and bar.
The Build-Out: Constructing the Space
With the infrastructure in place, our focus shifted to constructing the main features:
The bar is the main attraction in the entertainment area. The design aims to look good and serve a purpose, showcasing a stylish counter that is perfect for parties and special occasions.
We built a full bathroom in the basement to provide convenience and comfort for anyone using the space.
We created a modern gym for fitness lovers at home, providing everything needed for various exercise equipment.
Finishing Touches: Aesthetics and Functionality
As we neared completion, our attention turned to the details that would make the space truly shine:
We added special lights to improve the atmosphere, with bright lights for the gym and softer lights for the bar.
Using good materials and finishes, we made the basement strong and aesthetically pleasing. We made these choices to match the homeowners’ style and the purpose of each area.
The Final Reveal: A Basement Built for Enjoyment
The culmination of our efforts was a beautifully remodeled basement that promised endless hours of enjoyment. The new bar, bathroom, and gym areas enhanced the space. They transformed it from a simple basement into a central place for activity and relaxation.
Are you inspired to revitalize your own basement space? As your local basement remodeling contractor in Doylestown, PA, we’re ready to turn your vision into reality. Contact us to begin your home’s transformation today.

The Setup
For this primary bathroom project, the homeowners sought to transform their outdated, beige-toned space into a bright, functional sanctuary. The existing bathroom felt cramped and lifeless, with a small shower and limited storage options. The goal was to create a fresh, updated bathroom that maximizes the existing footprint while addressing specific desires for a more open, organized space with timeless materials.
Design objectives:
Brighten the bathroom and eliminate the dated beige color scheme
Install a freestanding tub in a compact space
Create a larger, more open shower without encroaching on the existing foot print too much
Incorporate hidden storage solutions
Maintain the existing bathroom layout while improving functionality
Update lighting and fixtures to create a contemporary feel
The Remodel
Design challenges to be solved:
- Compact Space Utilization – The small bathroom required careful planning to accommodate a freestanding tub while maintaining functionality and avoiding overcrowding.
- Hidden Storage Integration – The clients wanted a discreet hamper solution that wouldn’t clutter the limited floor space.
- Shower Niche Placement – With plumbing limitations and the clients’ desire to preserve their wavy accent tile wall, finding the perfect niche spot became a creative puzzle.
- Tile and Finish Coordination – Selecting complementary white tile and floor materials that worked harmoniously together.
- Larger Shower Space – Make the shower feel more open and brighter
The Renewed Space
Design solutions:
- Strategic Tub Placement – The freestanding tub was carefully positioned to maximize space, with its faucet strategically placed to allow easy access while preserving walking room. We reduced the counter depth just a bit by the tub, allowing more room for hamper cabinet and window access.
- Concealed Hamper Storage – A custom pull-out hamper was integrated into the vanity (right side, by tub), providing discreet storage within an 18-inch depth constraint.
- Shower Plumbing Wall Niche – We shifted the niche left, just enough to work around the plumbing infrastructure and still score a roomy storage spot that looks intentional.
- Sophisticated Selections – Porcelanosa curvy white tile, Kohler brushed gold fixtures, and a neutral grey tile floor created a simple, timeless aesthetic that will be loved years to come.
- Open Shower – Replacing the side wall with a clear glass surround, continuing the tile on the ceiling and extending the footprint opened up this area to the room while allowing more natural lighting into the shower space.
This bathroom transformation shows how thoughtful design turns challenges into opportunities. Brushed gold fixtures add warmth to the fresh white palette, while the perfectly balanced floor tile brings just the right depth. A partially glass-fronted vanity introduces subtle charm, giving the space a unique edge. Once cramped and outdated, this bathroom now feels bright, spacious, and serene—a testament to how every design detail makes a difference.

These existing concrete lake access stairs served as one of the City of Lake Waukomis public shoreline easements but lacked a modern safety railing for pedestrians. As part of the community improvement project, Elite One enhanced the existing staircase by installing durable Westbury Tuscany aluminum railing, improving user safety, accessibility, and long-term durability while preserving the original concrete stair structure.

The Nook ADU offers 667 GFA in a compact 24′×30′ footprint, featuring 1 bedroom, 1 bath, and a Farmer's Porch. It includes 9′ ceilings, LED lighting, solar-ready infrastructure, and ADA options. BuildX provides a complete, move-in-ready ADU home with premium standard selections and full project management, encompassing architectural plans, permits, engineered foundation, complete exterior build, and a single connection point for high-efficiency heat-pump HVAC, along with finished interiors, including kitchen and bath. Customization options for both exterior and interior selections are available, with upgrades to enhance specific areas without compromising clarity or control. The starting price reflects the ADU building package with premium selections, while total project pricing is confirmed after property evaluation and defining the engineered site development scope, including utilities, excavation, drainage, and sewer tie-in or septic conditions.

Too much noise is nuisance. Too much noise that has no off switch is worse. Natural cork flooring can reduce the noise. The cellular construction of cork is made up of millions of tiny air filled chambers. These act as barriers against the transmission of noise, effectively insulating any room where this material is installed. This will help to keep noise from transmitting down through the floor, or up through the ceiling. Go with natural cork flooring and keep it low.
Ever heard of a flooring material that can be soft and yielding beneath your feet but not come with the dust and dander of carpet. It’s cork. Natural cork flooring is a wood product feels nothing like hardwood, stone and vinyl, but something completely different altogether. Because cork is made of an elastic infrastructure, it is popular in rooms where you will be standing for long periods of time, such as a kitchen. Check out natural cork flooring today.
https://www.icorkfloor.com/store/black-cork-flooring-jet-black-8mm/

This home was in severe disrepair. Rather than tear it down, the home was rebuilt from foundation to roof. All infrastructure was replaced - electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows replaced, new standing seam metal roof, James Hardie sideing, and cellular PVC exterior trim,
Inside the walls were re-framed, all new finishes including hardwood flooring, new kitchens and baths.

Greg Hadley
We installed new railing, flooring, and French doors on the upstairs deck off the master bedroom deck. We installed a new garage door and siding on the garage gable and rear of the house. The house is in a great neighborhood and had a solid foundation, but the infrastructure needed a lot of attention including:
• Repointing brick in a few areas
• Adding insulation in all the walls and spray foam in the attic ceiling to increase energy-efficiency
• Install new siding and trim on two dormers on rear elevation
• Install new siding on gable end of garage and wall section on main house above
• garage
• Install new PVC trim in profiles to approximate those reflected drawings provided from original plans dated 1939
• Adding central air to all four floors
• New plumbing and electrical systems
• Install new interior doors where needed
• All new Pella Proline windows that match the traditional exterior
• Demolish and rebuild crumbling front steps
• New front door, new frieze, crown, pilasters, columns and trim around front door
• New dentil molding at front of home
• New garage door

This renovation project entailed the interior customization of a luxury condominium in Boston’s Back Bay. Sweeping city views are the focal point of the living space which is defined by the newly constructed coffered ceiling. The design walks the line between contemporary and traditional, with the use of custom mill work and bright colors. A central lighting system and audio visual infrastructure add to the updated feel of the space. The contrast between the differing dark wood finishes and lighter colored wall and ceiling create points of emphasis throughout the home.

At Driveways by Design, safety and functionality are paramount to us. Peace of mind that your vehicle will enter and exit in a forward position, eliminating unwanted turns, blind spots, or backing out onto busy streets, all are priceless. When designing a driveway, it’s not just about the proper materials, the latest trends, style, colors, but it is also about the impact on the household, environment, and infrastructure. Nowadays many factors affect the daily life of south floridians, i.e. the heat island effect, some cities no longer allow circular driveways (zoning codes have become very restrictive about the amount that can be paved in order to mitigate the heat island effect,) construction happening all over our city, poor transportation systems, a turntable can truly enhance our daily experience, making it easier to exit our homes, no more agglomerations of traffic, or concrete trucks backing out, and no more worries about children or pets running unexpectedly behind the car. Designed by Shosh vant Verlaat and installed/maintained by Driveways by Design, the Car Turntable is ideal for residential and commercial applications, and will maximize the use of space, improve driver's visibility, as well as add value to your property.

Hallway bathroom Remodeling-
• Complete infrastructure upgrade up to codes.
• Converting a tub into a standing shower.
• Removal of a partition wall.
• All new plumbing fixtures and vanity.
• New tiling throughout the bathroom.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
Envision Virtual Tours and High Resolution Photography is your best choice to find just what you are looking for in the Ellijay, Ga. area .Ellijay, Georgia, known as the “Apple Capital” of Georgia, is located between the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers where they join to make the Coosawattee River and is the county seat of Gilmer County, Georgia. The origin of the city’s name is not certain but thought to be the English derivative of an Indian word(s) meaning “many waters”, “place of green things” or “new ground”. Some histories say it may have been named for an Indian chief.
Inhabited for countless years by the Cherokee people indigenous to the North Georgia, the area was first mentioned as a village and trade center before the onslaught of white settlers inhabited the region. During the 1830’s both white settlers and Indians occupied Ellijay. During the original land lottery in 1832, Martin Scalf acquired the 160 acre lot where the town now stands. In 1833, Clemonds Quinland bought 10 acres from Scalf, retained one acre for himself and donated the rest of the purchase to the County. A plan for twenty town lots, streets and a public square was created and the streets were oriented to allow maximum sunlight exposure to the buildings.
Proceeds from lot sales were used to build a jail and courthouse and pay other city expenses. During this same year, Gilmer County was appropriated $800.00 from the State to build a school, and a three-acre lot was donated for the city cemetery. On December 29, l834, Ellijay was incorporated and designated as the County seat of Gilmer County. By 1837, the town had twenty dwellings, three stores and one attorney. Most of these early buildings were of log construction.
Many roads led to Ellijay by 1849. The population had grown to 150 by 1850 and the town at five stores. Some wood-frame buildings were being constructed at this time and in 1854, a new courthouse was built in the center of the square, replacing the earlier building. The County’s first newspaper was the Ellijay Courier, started in 1875, and during this time period, Ellijay was a stop on the stagecoach line. The railroad bridge over the Cartecay River was completed in 1884 and the town now had rail service.
With the arrival of the railroad and subsequent tracks to White Path, Ellijay began to grow much faster. Many hotels were constructed and land was donated for a depot east of town. More industries, such as a cheese factory and the Shippen Brothers Lumber Mill, located in Ellijay. By 1898, the city had expanded its limits in every direction and now included the depot.
By 1900, all the buildings on the town square were brick. This included the recently completed Hyatt Hotel. Most of the other buildings in town were still of log construction, but new wood-frame buildings were being built. The Shippen Brothers Lumber Company production was expanding and exporting their lumber to Europe. Within the next few decades, this company grew to be one of the largest employers in Ellijay, often with five to six million feet of lumber in the yard at one time.
The population of Ellijay grew to 659 by 1910, and began to acquire many new modern conveniences such as electric lights and power, a telephone company and many new businesses.
Then in 1912, a fire ravaged the city, destroying 23 buildings. As a result, many new buildings were constructed under new and stricter fire and safety guidelines. The population, however, decreased slightly at this time to 632 in 1920.
During the 1920’s the town’s population began to grow again and, by this time, apples were being shipped out of the county and new storage facilities were built. Chickens were also shipped to markets outside of Ellijay and Gilmer County.
From the mid 1930’s to 1950, Ellijay received much assistance from the Federal WPA Programs. The old courthouse was removed from the center of town square and the Hyatt Hotel was remodeled to be the new courthouse. A park was created on the site of the old courthouse and the streets around the square were paved. A new street was built at this time entering town from the northeast. Other new roads, bridges, sidewalks and gutters were constructed to improve the city. A school and gymnasium were also built and other structures improved.
This growth began to impact the city’s infrastructure and in the l950’s and l960’s, a period of upgrading water systems, roads, and power supplies began. New low-rent housing appeared in l960 and a new hospital was built in l957. Georgia Highway 5 was widened in l962, new buildings around the square replaced old ones and some were remodeled. In 1974, the hospital was enlarged.
Currently, Ellijay attracts tourists who love the small-town feel and friendly atmosphere. Hotels and restaurants, unique shops, antiques and art galleries lend their charms to those who visit. A new courthouse constructed to resemble the old one, new streetscaping, family-oriented downtown events and the beautification of the square have stepped up the social and economic activity and have made Ellijay a popular destination.

Located on a private ranch on the Central Coast of California, The North Coast Ranch is a contemporary agrarian compound with a rich family heritage. The compound includes a main house, guest house, and detached garage/workshop situated on what was once a hog farm. The agrarian setting and history of the property inspired much of the design and detailing. The agrarian influences are apparent in the exposed framing, cedar siding, barn form roof lines, and a tower element inspired by the existing concrete silos located on the property. To celebrate the family’s Swiss heritage, the exposed rafter tails are individually branded with the Swiss flag insignia.
On the interior, a large open floor plan and 10’ sliding glass doors provide plenty of space for family gatherings and opportunities for indoor/outdoor living. Adding to the grandeur of the spaces, the kitchen and living room boast vaulted cathedral ceilings. The agrarian detailing continues throughout the house with the incorporation of warm materials and exposed structure. Concrete slats, originally a part of the old hog pen infrastructure, were reutilized to create a feature wall in the dining room.
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